Friday, January 9, 2015

Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson want you to get health insurance

Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman (right) appealing to millennials in a HealthCare.gov promo

The Seahawks are cool, so health insurance is cool and therefore you should totally sign up. That's the message behind a new PSA from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, featuring Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell "Dangeruss" Wilson and cornerback Richard "You mad, bro?" Sherman.

The video shows Wilson and Sherman in front of a white screen, dropping punny one-liners about the merits of health coverage.

“When your health or the game is on the line, nothing is more important than quality coverage,” Sherman says.

“So make the right call," Wilson adds. "Visit HealthCare.gov and get covered.”

The new video looks like another outreach attempt to persuade so-called "young invincibles" — healthy adults ages 18 to 34 — to purchase insurance at the state or federal marketplace. During open enrollment last year, young adults made up 25 percent of enrollees in private health plans in Washington state. The Obama administration is counting on these young adults to sign up for health insurance because their participation in the exchange helps offset the costs of insuring older, sicker Americans.